Foreign Minister: More efforts required to empower women

Minister of Foreign Affairs Dunya Maumoon has said that more needs to be done to empower women, ensure gender equality, and eliminate discrimination against women.

The minister made this remark while speaking at the closing ceremony of a workshop organised by the Ministry of Law and Gender, held at SHE Building on Thursday evening, to increase awareness on the international Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women.

“More needs to be done, at national and international levels, to empower women and guarantee equal rights for women. The obstacles facing the efforts towards eliminating discrimination against women, are numerous. The government is aware of domestic sexual harassment and other abuses endured by women, and is taking action to address these problems,” said Dunya.

The United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women was ratified by the Maldives in 1993. Dunya said that Maldivian citizens will only benefit from this convention if its clauses are incorporated in the country's national framework, and that efforts are ongoing in this regard by the government.

She noted that the Maldives has achieved significant milestones in empowering women, and said that ongoing efforts include the preparation of a bill on ensuring gender equality.